The Business Links
The Business Links are a government sponsored network of independent local business information and advice centres. They are run by partnerships that include Chambers of Commerce, TECs, local authorities, enterprise agencies and the Department of Trade & Industry.

They offer a range of programmes, help, sources of advice and funding for pretty much most of your business needs.

When it comes to finance, they can offer assistance, specifically, with matters such as choosing an accountant or business adviser, debt, business planning, borrowing, shares and equity, grants and support, insurance, retirement planning.

Log onto www.businesslink.gov.uk and from there you’ll see plenty of different menu options including tools, for example, to help you choose the correct type of finance for your business. You can even search a directory of around 3000 different financial assistance programs.

The banks
The banks want your business and for many they are the most logical place to start. But not all banks are equal when it comes to their websites and the information they provide. By way of example, let’s look at how the big four banks differ.

Barclays' website - www.barclays.co.uk/business - seems geared to product sales. The information is there, but it’s harder to find – you need to look for the Business Information Factsheets. The site also offers Barclay Business Manager software that includes an accounts package, a planning/marketing programme, and HR and Health & Safety compliance programmes – for a ‘small’ monthly fee.

SBC - www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/business - offers information on its products but it features a tab called ‘help with your business needs’ where you’ll find options that include ‘preventing card processing fraud’, ‘buying commercial property’ and ‘managing cashflow’. Follow the options through to find some good, free, tips.

Natwest - www.natwest.com/business.asp - has a series of online business guides that seem bitty and possibly a little basic. The site offers free Natwest Business Software, which features a business planner, software to manage your accounts, invoicing and customer and supplier records.

LloydsTSB - www.lloydstsbbusiness.com - offers well structured menus with good detail and a series of guides on subjects key to running a business. LloydsTSB also offers – for £22.95 – an advice service that covers employment, Health & Safety, tax, VAT and legal matters. It comes with legal expenses insurance.

Of course, these sites – and more not listed here - are a precursor to selling you products and services and you may find more personal advice from one of their business managers. But the business advisors are not specialists.

British Chambers of Commerce
Another organisation that might be of assistance is the local Chamber of Commerce, which is a non-political, non-profit making organisation, owned and directed by its members. Each chamber sits locally to serve the business community and provide services, information and guidance to its members.

Each chamber also exist to represent its members' interests to government and policymakers.

Go to www.chamberonline.co.uk and you’ll see they can help with the various services that a business might need, but at a cost. You can choose from programmes that cover credit/debit card payment services, healthcare programmes, and a legal expenses/insurance helpline.

Small business organisations
There are two organisations that exist to help the smaller business – The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) - www.fsb.org.uk - and the Forum of Private Business (FPB) - www.fpb.org.uk

According to the FSB, it's a campaigning pressure group promoting and protecting the interests of the self-employed and owners of small firms. It has over 205,000 members across 33 regions and 230 branches.

The FSB claims to offer members assistance and support 24 hours a day, while its lobbying arm applies pressure on MPs and government. One of the benefits is the legal helpline which operates 24 hours a day.

Benefits of being a member include various financial products such as free banking services (credit balance interest, fee-free overdrafts and a free business charge card); financial services products at a reduced cost; help with small business finance; and telecoms solutions.

Again, some of the ‘benefits’ revolve around buying products and services, albeit at a reduced rate. However, some of the benefits accrue by being a member – the legal and tax advice line, cover for the costs of a tax enquiry of employment dispute, a regular magazine and taking part at the events it holds.

The FPB is similar to the FSB except that it is concerned more with business than ‘small business’. It is a non-political organisation that claims a membership of 25,000 private businesses which in turn employ more than 600,000 staff.

It, too, offers members various services that include legal services similar to the FSB's. It also offers payroll services, card processing via HSBC. It also offers business its Business Software Centre; the software is rented on a monthly basis and includes business planning, financial forecasting, staff records and appointments.

Other features of being an FPB member include being able to use its government grant search; debt services and a rates appeal service.

Accountants
No doubt you have an accountant. Why not tap into them for financial advice and help? But if you’ve not got an accountant, and you want one, you need to make sure that you find one that is properly qualified and a member of a professional body.

There are several professional bodies – the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). For Scotland and Ireland, there are two separate but associated bodies to the ICAEW - the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland (ICAI). Look for these letters after the accountants name.

By choosing a qualified member of these bodies you should be guaranteed of good advice. Further, if you do have any problems, you will at least have a professional body to complain to and seek redress from.

In general, the accounting bodies websites are for their members. However, the ICAEW has, on its website - www.icaew.com - under ‘Find a chartered accountant’ some help topics that you might find of use. There’s a search option to help you locate one of its members, but on the same page you'll find information on matters such as choosing an accountant, accounts and personal/family matters, accountants as non-executive directors and accountants as independent experts.

If you choose the business section, you’ll find more hints and tips that will help you with the running of the business including advice on raising finance, profits, managing growth, buying/selling/merging the business, and staying within the law.

Websites
There are plenty of other sources of financial help, as a quick search of Google will show. Just tapping in ‘business advice’ brings up a whole host of various websites including www.smallbusiness.co.uk which has reams of articles on small business matters and links to providers. Another to consider is www.thisismoney.co.uk/smallbusiness which features current business news topics as well as advice sections.

There is so much information out there – you just need to go and find it. Apart from the sources above, consider using the internet and Google – two truly fantastic research tools.